General Information

Solicitation Number: NASA-GSFC-UCLA-DIVINER-PHASE-E-EXTENSION

Posted Date: Dec 24, 2014

FedBizOpps Posted Date: Dec 24, 2014

Recovery and Reinvestment Act Action: No

Original Response Date: Jan 08, 2015

Current Response Date: Jan 08, 2015

Classification Code: A -- Research and Development

NAICS Code: 336414

Contracting Office Address

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 210.S, Greenbelt, MD 20771

Description

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) has a requirement for the continuation of Contract NNG09EK06C with the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) for the Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment (DLRE) Investigation on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Mission. UCLA is currently performing both the instrument operations management, which includes instrument operations planning, scheduling, and engineering parameter review and trending, as well as the science operations which includes planning all instrument modes, table loads, calibrations and data dissemination to the co-investigators and to the general scientific community through the Planetary Data System (PDS).

NASA/GSFC intends to issue a sole-source Request for Proposal (RFP) to UCLA. The estimated period of performance of this cost-no-fee (CNF) contract extension will be for 2-years from March 16, 2015 through March 15, 2017.

The UCLA, in conjunction with their partner at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), is the only organization currently qualified to perform the subject requirement for the following reasons: 1) This procurement will enable the science and flight operations activities to be merged and carried out at UCLA with a substantial university undergraduate and graduate student educational involvement. Only UCLA possesses the high level scientific expertise, the detailed knowledge of the DLRE instrument and LRO spacecraft, and the capability to carry out the targeting and operations in a manner in which the scientific operations and the flight operations can be merged; 2) Current DLRE team members are unique in their familiarity with the DLRE instrument design, testing and calibration as well as the LRO spacecraft. From 2005-2009, UCLA and JPL designed, fabricated, calibrated, tested, and integrated the DLRE instrument with the LRO spacecraft, including testing at the Spacecraft level after spacecraft integration. Under contract NNG09EK06C, UCLA has successfully carried out the science operations and science analysis of the DLRE instrument on the LRO spacecraft since the LRO launch in June 2009. Dr. David Paige, of UCLA, is a leading expert in his field of planetary geophysics and was selected by NASA Headquarters to lead this investigation, based on an evaluation of his proposal submitted under the Announcement of Opportunity for exploration measurements in NASA’s LRO Mission (AO NNH04ZSS003O). The DLRE instrument is a state-of-the-art, one-of-a-kind instrument. In addition, UCLA led the development of unique software and processes for: testing the instruments on-orbit, creating the operational table loads, processing the raw data so that scientists can manipulate, display, and analyze the scientific data received, and producing summary data. This effort requires the detailed understanding of the instrument and all related software; 3) UCLA scientists have led the effort, in the community, to analyze the images and data products from the DLRE Instrument, and are currently the only organization with the capability to carry out the combined scientific and instrument operations in conjunction with the educational opportunities. This effort requires the detailed understanding of the instrument and all related software. Since no other organization was involved with these activities on an in-depth level, no other organization currently has the knowledge and experience to perform the requirement.

Statutory authority for this procurement is 10 U.S.C. 304(c)(1)--Only One Responsible Source. However, organizations who believe they can provide these services without any detrimental impact to the program schedules supported by this work should fully identify their interest and capabilities within 15 days after publication of this synopsis. Interested organizations may submit their capabilities and qualifications to perform the effort in writing to the identified point of contact not later than 4:30 p.m. local time on January 8, 2015. Such capabilities/qualifications will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct this procurement on a competitive basis. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed effort on a full and open competition basis, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the government. All responsible sources may submit an offer which shall be considered by the agency.

The Government does not intend to acquire a commercial item using FAR Part 12. See Note 26. An Ombudsman has been appointed. See NASA Specific Note "B". Any referenced notes may be viewed at the following URLs linked below.